Method of thermochemically cutting metals



Nov. 20, 1951 J. s. SOHN 2,575,736

METHOD OF THERMOCHEMICALLY CUTTING METALS Filed Oct. 4, 1949 4 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTOR JESSE SSOHN BY 2; P L 'M ATTORN EYS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JESSE S.SOHN

ATTORNEYS Nov. 20, 1951 J. 8. SOHN METHOD OF THERMOCHEMICALLY CUTTING METALS Filed Oct. 4, 1949 m m w ...H M w B Q m Q M 6 w f s m A \W/ AH%& M I u A Nov. 20, 1951 J. 5. SOHN METHOD OF THERMOCHEMICALLY CUTTING METALS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 4, 1949 FIG.4

\NVENTOR JESSE SSQHN PM ML I 6 ATTORNEYS NOV. 20, 1951 J 5, SOHN 2,575,736

' METHOD OF THERMOCHEMICALLY CUTTING METALS Filed Oct. 4, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 INVENTOR JESSE S. SOHN ATTORNEYS i atentecl Nov. 26, 19m

EJNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF THERMOCHEMICALLY' CUTTING METALS Jesse S. Sohn, Succasunna, N. J., assignor to Air. Reduction Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 4, 1949, Serial No. 119,462

the preheating names which are'followed. by the.

oxygen jet. The latter ignites the. metal and burns it away as the cutting operation. advances.

In ail such operations, it has been necessary heretofore tov move the workpiece and the torch relatively to each other in order to advance the kerf and to complete the out. In the application of machines for cutting, this requirement leads to complications, particularly since the mechanism is subjected to relatively high temperatures for considerable periods. and also. to

the fume and dust arising from the operation.

It is the object of the. present invention to provide an improved method of cutting. metals. thermochemically, avoiding the necessity for relative movement of the torch and workpiece.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a method of cutting metals thermochemically in which a plurality of cutting jets of oxygen with complementary heating flames are applied successively tothe workpiece in predetermined order to initiate and to advance the keri.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a method of cutting metals thermochemically in which cutting may proceed simultan ousiy from both sides of the workpiece, thereby eliminating half of the time required to complete the kerf.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an apparatus, suitable for the practice of the method;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bottom of the apparatus;

Fig. l is an enlarged section on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the means for mixing the heating gases;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one mode. of practising the invention;

Fig; 7 is a vertical section through a modifiedv form of the apparatus and Fig. 8v is a plan view of. the bottom of the ap-.- paratus; shown in Fig. '7.

In. accordance Withthenovel procedure of the. present. invention, it is. unnecessary to provide for relative movement. of the torch and workpiece. successively and progressively-to. the workpiece each of a plurality oiiicutting jets of oxygen complemented by: heating flames contiguous with. each cutting jet. Thus the cutting is initiated by. the application of heating flames. and acut,- ting oxygen: jet at one:- end of the desired kerf.

Instead. of moving the: workpiece or the. torch;

these parts are. relatively fixed. and the torch.

is provided with means for shutting oil the ini'- tial. oxygen. jet. after;- it. has performed its func! tionand' substituting therefor; a second,v a. third; and successive jets,; each; with. complementaryheating flames, as: the1kerf advances until: the.

cut is completed. By suitable arrangement. of.

the means for feeding gases, they. are supplied. only to the active jets, each jet. going into play; as it is required: to advance the kerf. Thus. the jets. are employed in. a; sort of step-by-step rela-- tion.

Although it is. not essential. to. the invention, the. jets can be made operative simultaneously at opposite sides of'the workpiece'to initiate the.

cutand the kerf' can be. advanced-.fromthe sides to the. middle. of the workpiece where it is.com-.-

pleted- This obviously reduces. the cutting: time" by one-half. and is. advantageous. for that rea-.-

son as well asfor others;

Apparatus suitable for the practice of the method may take various forms, that hereinafter described being the best presently available and being employed as an illustration to render the subjectmatter more readily understandable.

Referring to-Fig. 6 otthe-draw-ing, themethod as hereinbefore explained, is accomplished by the use of a torchtip 51 which. may carry protective shoes 6. The torch t'iphas a plurality of oxygen; jet. passages 1 and complementary passages 81 (Fig. 4). for combustible. gas to afford. heating flames. The: workpiece; 9 is disposed beneath the tip 5. Astindicated the kerfs; H] and II. have. been initiated from opposite. ends of the work. piece by the application of cutting oxygen jets and complementary heating flamesv applied first at the opposite sides of the workpiecell. Thus,

the; cutting oxygen jets from the passages 'lat.

opposite. ends of the tip, with their comp1emen-- The cutting is accomplished. by applying.

amiss the kerf advances, cutting oxygen jets from successive passages I from both ends of the torch tip 5 are applied successively and progressively. As shown, the kerf has already advanced. Consequently, the cutting oxygen jets at the ends of the torch tip 5 have been shut ofi, while those adjacent the ends of the two kerfs are active, and intermediate cutting jets are likewise inactive but will become active as the kerf advances until it is completed. As already pointed out, the arrangement may be such that the kerf advances only from one side of the workpiece. In other words, the oxygen jets are activated progressively from one end of the torch tip 5 to the other. Throughout this operation, neither the torch tip nor the workpiece is moved. Only the kerf advances as the result of the successive and progressive application of the cutting oxygen jets supplied as needed to the respective cutting oxygen passages I. This procedure avoids all of the mechanical difficulties inherent in an operation which requires relative movement of the torch and workpiece. At least one of the cutting oxygen jets must be in operation at all times to avoid discontinuity of the kerf. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, three cutting jets are in operation from each end of the kerf. As one is discontinued,

another jet comes into operation progressively ported beneath three valve blocks I2, I3 and I4.

The valve blocks are provided with connections I5, I6 and I! through which cutting oxygen, a combustible gas such as acetylene and omgen to be mixed with the combustion gas are supplied, respectively. Thus the valve block I2 controls the feeding of the cutting oxygen, the valve block I3 controls the feeding of the combustible gas, and the valve block I4 controls the feeding of the oxygen to be mixed with the combustible gas. Within the valve block I2, a cylindrical valve I8 is mounted for rotation. The end of the valve I8 opposite the gas inlet is closed by disc I9 which is connected to a shaft extending from the end of the valve block I2 and carrying a pinion 2I secured by a set screw 22 to the shaft. The valve I8 is provided with a plurality of orifices 23 arranged in a helical line. In the specific form illustrated in Fig. 1, the orifices 23 are designed to feed oxygen to the passages 1 simultaneously from opposite ends of the tip 5-to the center thereof. They may be arranged to feed the oxygen to the passages I successively and progressively from only one end of the tip. It will be understood that the structure described is arranged to prevent leakage of gas from the valve block I2 so that the gas can escape only through the orifices 23 into the passages I.

A valve block I3 includes a similar valve 24 except that the apertures 25 therein are elongated and are adapted to register as the valve rotates with passages 26 extending through the wall of the valve block into milled recesses 21. The valve 24 is rotated by a shaft 28 extending through the end of the valve block and carrying a pinion 29 which meshes with the pinion 2|.

The valve block I4 includes a similar valve 30 having apertures 3| which are elongated as shown and adapted to register with passages 32 extending through the wall of the valve block to milled recesses 33 similar to the recesses 21.-

The valve 30 is connected to'a shaft 34 carrying a pinion 35 which meshes with the pinion 29. The pinion 35 meshes with a pinion 36 on a shaft 37 driven by a motor 38. Thus, when the motor 38 is in operation, the shafts 34, 28 and 20 are rotated simultaneously and in timed relation. Thus, the various gases are fed in the required proportions to the respective outlets therefor.

In order that the combustible and combustionsupporting gases supplied through the valves 30 and 24 may be properly mixed, the valve blocks I2, I3 and I4 and the tip 5 and protective shoes 6 are connected by bolts 39 extending therethrough. In the blocks I3 and I2, as shown in Fig. 2, the holes for the bolts are oversize, affording passages 40 and 43. Thus, the oxygen gas supplied by the valve 30 to the recess 33 is delivered through the passage 40 to a mixing chamber =42 where it meets and mixes with the combustible gas supplied through the valve 24. The mixed gas from the mixing chamber 42 is delivered through passages 43 around the bolts 35 to the milled recesses 44 and thence to the passages 8 contiguous to the cutting oxygen passages I. It will be noted that the recesses 44 are discontinuous, so that combustible gases are supplied for the heating flames around the oxygen jet passages I progressively as the kerf advances. Thus, combustible gases will be supplied from the recess 44 at the right of Fig. 4 only while such gases are needed, and thereafter through successive recesses 44, from right to left, as required. Hence the heating of the metal and the cutting of the kerf will progress in the desired direction as the apparatus operates, and no gases will be wasted.

The preferred structure of the mixing chamber 42 is illustrated in Fig. 5, in which the block I2 and the bolt 39 are shown with the mixing chamber 42 supplied with a combustible gas through a passage 45 and the combustion supporting gas through a passage 45. The mixture is delivered through the passage 43 surrounding the bolt 39. Suitable gasket material 41 may be provided between the blocks I2 and I3 to prevent leakage of gases.

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawing, I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the invention in which the oxygen jet passages for the cutting oxygen are replaced by a slot and the controlling valve is modified by the provision of a helical slot which, as the valve is rotated, registers with the slot in the torch tip and. directs the equivalent of a jet of oxygen which moves progressively along the slot in the torch tip, thus permitting the development of the kerf without moving the torch relatively to the workpiece. Referring to the drawing, 56 indicates the torch tip having protective shoes 5|. A slot 52 extends longitudinally of the torch tip, and complementary heating gas passages 53 are disposed along the 'edges of the slot to permit the application of heating flames progressively as in the previously described embodiment of the invention.

The cutting oxygen is supplied through a passage 54 to the interior of a rotary valve 55 sup- .ported in the valve block 56. A helically formed slot 51 is formed in the valve 55. As shown, the slot is designed to permit the application of cuting jets from each end of the torch tip, but it may be so formed that the oxygen is supplied progressively from one end of the torch tip so that the kerf is out completely across the workpiece instead of from both ends thereof. The rotary valve 55 is driven through a shaft 58 carrying a pinion 59.

As in the preceding embodiment of the invention, valve blocks 60 and 6! are provided with connections 62 and 53 for combustible gas and combustion-supporting gas, i. e., oxygen, respectively. The valve blocks 60 and El enclose rotary valves 64 and 65 having slots 66 and 6'! adapted to progressively feed the combustible gas and the combustion-supporting gas to a mixing chamber (not shown) but substantially as in the preceding embodiment of the invention, and eventually to the heating gas passages 53. The rotary valves 64 and B5 are driven by 'pinions 68 and 69 and by a pinion connected to a shaft 'll actuated by a motor '12. Since the mechanism, except for the particular form of the valve 55 and the provision of the slot 52 in the torch tip, is identical with the modification previously described, a further detailed description of this mechanism is unnecessary. It functions in substantially the manner hereinbefore described, aifording heating jets which move progressively along the workpiece, the unnecessary jets being extinguished while new ones come into play. Meanwhile, the cutting oxygen jet engages the workpiece at one or both ends thereof and, as the valve 51 rotates, the cutting oxygen jet moves progressively as the kerf advances, and the cutting is accomplished without relative movement of the torch tip and workpiece.

Although the mechanisms as described are those best adapted to produce the desired result, it is apparent that other forms of timed valve mechanism may be utilized for the purpose of supplying the necessary gases to the tip in the proper quantity and in such a manner as to allow the cutting oxygen jets to be applied successively and progressively to the workpiece.

Various changes may be made in the structure and mode of operation of the parts without departing from the invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. A method of thermochemically cutting a ferrous metal workpiece which comprises positioning torch means having a row of closely spaced cutting oxygen orifices in operative position with respect to the work to be cut and fixed in the direction of a desired out throughout the cutting operation, projecting a jet of cutting oxygen onto the workpiece from a first of said orifies to thermochemically remove metal therefrom, thereafter projecting a jet of cutting oxygen from a second orifice immediately adjacent said first orifice and downstream therefrom in the direction of the out after said first oxygen jet has been in operation, but before its cutting action is completed, whereupon said second oxygen jet thermochemically removes metal from said workpiece adjacent the point at which metal was removed by said first oxygen jet and so related thereto that the thermochemical action completely removes the metal between said jets to form a unitary kerf while said torch means is maintained stationary with respect to said work, discontinuing the projection of cutting oxygen from said first orifice after its cutting action is completed, projecting a jet of cutting oxygen from a third orifice immediately adjacent said second orifice and downstream therefrom while the jet of cutting oxygen from the second orifice is being projected onto the work and before its cutting action is completed, and successively and progressively projecting jets of cutting oxygen from said orifices and discontinuing the aprojection thereof in such manner in the direction of the cut.

2. The method of thermochemically cutting a ferrous metal workpiece as defined in claim 1 in which complementary heating flames are projected onto the workpiece adjacent where the oxygen jets are projected onto it to assist the action of the oxygen in cutting the workpiece.

3. The method of thermochemically cutting a ferrous metal workpiece as defined in claim 1 in which the cutting of the metal progresses in wardly simultaneously from opposite sides of the workpiece.

JESSE S. SOHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,142,355 Mueller June 8, 1915 1,554,408 Coberly Sept. 22, 1925 2,266,208 Jones Dec. 16, 1941 2,345,314 Anderson Mar. 28, 1944 2,347,245 Anderson Apr. 25, 1944 2,442,437 Robbins et al June 1, 1948 2,448,098 Hughey Aug. 31, 1948 2,483,719 Anderson Oct. 4, 1949 2,501,724 Hughey Mar. 28, 1950 2,510,210 Bucknam et al. June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,707 Denmark Jan. 9, 1909 

